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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Simona Foltyn in Mahnawia

‘The green land is a barren desert’: water scarcity hits Iraq’s Fertile Crescent

The irrigation canal next to Abdul Hadi Mizher’s house stands dry. The authorities only open the valve to let water flow once every three weeks.
The irrigation canal next to Abdul Hadi Mizher’s house stands dry. The authorities only open the valve to let water flow once every three weeks. Photograph: Muntadher Adel

In the heart of a region known as the Fertile Crescent, Abdul Hadi Mizher dug a well on his family farm. The Iraqi farmer drilled 16m into the hard earth. But despite the depth, not a single drop of water emerged.

Iraq has had a particularly dry summer but Mizher’s family have been here for four generations, growing wheat and vegetables and raising cows and this year is exceptional.

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